


Out in Force

by bythunder



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff, Rhaegar gets punched in the face
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-30
Updated: 2018-01-30
Packaged: 2019-03-11 12:16:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13524072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bythunder/pseuds/bythunder
Summary: Lyanna has a chance meeting with Rhaegar Targaryen at a bar, where she rejects his advances.She never expects to see him again, least of all at her boyfriend's family reunion.





	Out in Force

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ayuminb](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ayuminb/gifts).



_Oh yeah, this is why I hate bars_ , Lyanna thought with an irritated sigh as a man took the empty seat next to her, completely ignorant of the fact that she was sending out every don’t-talk-to-me signal known to mankind. Or, known to womankind anyway, because men never seemed to realize that a book and headphones meant Do Not Disturb. They usually retreated fast enough when she mentioned her boyfriend was six foot six and a former college linebacker, but she hated having to whip that out when they should just leave her alone because she said, “No.”

“Can I buy you another round?” He asked her, tapping his half-empty tumbler against her pint glass.

Lyanna didn’t even try to suppress her eyeroll. As unsubtly as she could, she dragged her drink away from this stranger and gave him the cold shoulder.

But man that he was, and more than a little drunk if the smell of him was any indication, didn’t get the hint. He grabbed at her shoulder and tried to turn her back to face him. “Hey, I asked you a question.”

“I’m going to give you one chance to remove your hand,” she lowered her voice and threatened. He only gave her a sloppy smile in return. People were constantly underestimating her because of her slim stature, but six years of taekwondo and she could handle herself well enough in any situation. She counted to three under her breath and was just about to snap this guy’s wrist when someone dropped into the seat on her other side.

“Oh, I hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long! Traffic in this city is a nightmare.” The newcomer winked at her, but his dismissal to the man with his arm around her was obvious. Now that he thought she was claimed by another man, or at least not alone and seemingly vulnerable, he released her and slunk away to another corner of the bar, no doubt to pester some other poor girl.

“I didn’t need you to rescue me, you know.”

“Rescue you?” The man laughed. “No, no. I was rescuing him! You looked about one second away from throwing him to the ground.” It was surprisingly unpatronizing the way he said that. She tried not to, but Lyanna couldn’t help smiling. “Now, I don’t intend to be the next man to drop to the floor, so, enjoy your evening, miss.”

“Lyanna,” she said, even though he hadn’t actually asked. “My name’s Lyanna.”

“Rhaegar,” he replied and took her hand. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

Lyanna felt her cheeks flush. Whether it was from the heat of the bar or the alcohol or Rhaegar’s dark eyes, she couldn’t say, maybe it was a mix of all three. He was a good looking man, she wouldn’t deny that. She may have a boyfriend, but she also had eyes. He was a bit older than Robert, maybe by a few years. His silver hair made it hard to guess just how much though. That’s not to say it aged him, no, in fact it was quite flattering. It made him look distinguished. She was levelheaded enough to know that handsome men were just as dangerous as ugly ones, but, Lyanna didn’t see any reason to be wary of Rhaegar. After all, he was acute enough to realize that she wasn’t here looking for company and was well prepared to leave her alone. But the book she’d been reading was painfully dry and she didn’t have anything else to occupy her time until Robert got out of work, so what was the harm in a little friendly conversation?

Lyanna sat there chatting with Rhaegar for the next hour until she got the ‘come over’ text from Robert.

“Ah, that’s my cue. I gotta go. It was nice talking to you, Rhaegar.” Lyanna flagged down the bartender to settle her bill, but when she reached for her wallet, Rhaegar waved her away and passed over his credit card before she could object.

“A thank you, for the pleasant conversation,” he explained with a smile. As a rule, Lyanna never let men buy her drinks. Even on her first date with Robert, she made him split the bill. But Rhaegar seemed genuinely nice and, besides, she didn’t really have the time to argue.

“You didn’t have to—”

“It’s no bother.”

“Well, thanks.” Lyanna slid off her stool and made her way out of the bar. She was halfway out the door before she realized Rhaegar was behind her, trailing just a few steps after. That startled her. “Uhm, I’m sorry? But what are you doing?”

“I thought I would walk you to your car. Places like this, you can never be to careful.”

Lyanna knew that all too well, but she didn’t need Rhaegar to be her protector. “I actually have to catch the bus, and you don’t have to walk with me, really. I can take care of myself.”

“My mother raised me to be chivalrous. I can’t let a lady out into the night without knowing she’s safe.”

Lyanna groaned internally. It sounded like the old-fashioned nonsense Grandma Locke would spout at her when she was still alive. _A gentleman always does this_ and _ladies mustn’t do that._ Ned seemed to be the only grandchild she approved of, but that’s because Ned was pretty much born an old man. Lyanna never cared for her out-of-date advice. But it didn’t seem worth it to argue with Rhaegar. It would only take up more time and Lyanna really didn’t want to miss the bus and have to wait another half an hour for the next one when all she wanted to do was curl up on the couch with Robert and laugh at corny horror movies. So she let Rhaegar walk with her for the two blocks to her stop.

“So, uh, this is me. And I can see the bus coming, so, thanks again,” Lyanna fumbled, trying once more to dismiss him.

“I meant it earlier, it was really lovely meeting you, Lyanna. And I hope we’ll see each other again,” he said, and then Lyanna didn’t know what happened, his hand was on her cheek and his head was dipping low, she could feel his breath on her lips as he tried to kiss her.

Acting on instinct, she planted both hands on his chest shoved him away from her. “Woah! What the hell?”

Rhaegar stumbled as he tried to regain his balance, and it was no coincidence that when he stood back up, he was out of Lyanna’s reach. “Lyanna, I—”

“Nu-uh. You don’t get to just try and kiss people you just met! What made you think I wanted you to?”

“I must’ve misunderstood. Please forgive me.”

“Yeah, no,” she scoffed, before hopping on the bus, grateful when the doors slid shut, separating him for her. _That is the very last time I ever talk to strangers in bars, no matter how nice, I swear it!_

She was still steamed when she let herself into Robert’s apartment twenty minutes later. Really, the nerve of some guys. She was mad at herself too, for falling for it. Just because he didn’t lead with some sketchy line didn’t mean he was a good guy. Stupid. Why do they all think a woman alone in a bar is asking to be macked on?

“Hey, babe. Sorry work ran late, but you know Jon Arryn is such a workaholic, so that means we all have to work on his schedule and—” Robert greeted her at the door with a plate of steaming barbecue pizza, heaped with pineapples. Things like this were why she loved him. They could have all out fights about the stupidest things, like whether or not pineapple belongs on pizza, but no matter how big of an abomination he thought it was, he never failed to order it on her half. And tonight, he worked three hours overtime, but she knew it never even crossed his mind to cancel on her. A year into the relationship, and he was still just as excited to see her as he’d been on the first date. Even if he was probably going to fall asleep as soon as his butt hits the sofa cushions. “Is everything okay? You got that angry vein in your forehead.”

“It’s stupid. I was hanging out at the bar while I was waiting for you and the creeps were out in force tonight.”

Robert’s nostrils flared and his own angry vein popped up. “Did you crack any skulls?” Another reason to love him. Robert knew that she didn’t need any help, didn’t ask if she was safe because he knew she was. Even Brandon defaulted to the obnoxious big brother stereotype. But Robert, even when he was feeling jealous and possessive, let Lyanna take care of the pervs on her own.

“Almost. This one guy, we talked a bit at the bar, but then he followed me to the bus stop, ‘Oh, gentlemen always walks with women to protect them from danger,' like they’re not the danger, yeah right. And then he tried to kiss me! Out of nowhere!”

“What!” His macho, overprotective rage was a little outdated, and she knew she should hate it, but, it would be a lie to say that it didn’t make her feel loved.

“Don’t worry, I almost shoved him in front of the bus. Gods, he seemed so normal up till then too.” Lyanna shrugged it off and lead Robert to the couch, wanting nothing more than to lie in his arms and watch half-dressed coeds get murdered by masked psychopaths until they both fell asleep.

 

 

* * *

 

 

It was easy for them both to forget the incident. If they remembered it all, it was just something to laugh about. “Next time, make sure the bus hits him!” Things like that. Robert hated that things like that happened to Lya. A little hypocritical, sure, he wouldn’t deny hitting on more than his fair share of girls in bars in his day, but since Lyanna agreed to be his girl, he at least tried to be a better person about it.

In fact, Rhaegar had completely slipped Lyanna’s mind all together until the Annual Baratheon Family Barbecue. It was a traditional that began when Robert’s father was a child and some forty odd years later, it was still going strong. It’s a really good illustration of the stubbornness of the Baratheons, they just refused to let a good thing die.

Lyanna hadn’t come last year, she and Robert had only been dating a month at that point. Even though she’d met his immediately family before then, they both agreed that an extended family event was too much too soon. But now that they were officially serious, she was glad to accompany him, so long as he bribed her with an entire afternoon at the new paintball arena she’d been begging him to try out with her. Really, she would’ve come for the promise of a foot rub, but if Robert’s feeling generous, she wasn’t about to say no.

“I’m not expected to remember any of these people’s names, am I?” Lya asked after being introduced to yet another relative.

“Eh, I can’t recall half of them either,” Robert confessed.  “I’m not even sure I’m actually related to anyone here. In fact, we might be at the wrong party.”

“Yeah, that’s why your parents are here. They also got lost on their way to the party at their own house.”

“Hey, you never know.”

“Shut up, Bobby.” Lya rolled her eyes and punched his arm.

Really, it was a fun afternoon, overwhelming amount of new names aside. There was a potluck buffet, Cassana had made her special baked macaroni and cheese, literally _the best_ thing in the world, and after everyone had eaten their fill, the boys gathered in the yard for a game of touch football. The Baratheons took their football very seriously, Steffon had played professionally before he met Cassana, and Robert would have too if he hadn’t blown his knee in his senior year of college. Even serious Stannis played on his high school team. They had a natural build for it. Between the three of them, they would’ve gladly played full contact, but with Lyanna and Renly playing too, they had to be a bit more gentle.

Though that doesn’t stop Robert from tackling her after Steffon throws her the ball. She sprinted for the designated endzone, the space between two birch trees, but she’d hardly made it ten paces when she’s knocked to the ground by nearly two hundred pounds of solid muscle.

“You do know we’re playing _touch_ football, right, Robert?” Lyanna groaned.

She could feel him shrug on top of her. “Any excuse to get you under me.” He gave her a wink and kiss before stealing the ball from her arms and tossing it to Renly, who ran it down to the opposite end of the field.

“Perv,” she shouted after him,  but there was plenty of time to pay him back for that later. Right now, she had a game to win.

By the time they called it quits, they’d lost track of score. Well, most of them had, Stannis still tried, but it was much harder to count when they threw out all the rules and just started chasing each other around and tossed the ball back and forth indiscriminately.

“Hey, Robert, I’m going to go grab another beer. Want one?” Lyanna offered, needing a break from all the running around. She didn’t wait for his answer, knowing it would be a yes, before heading into the house to retrieve fresh drinks.

Lyanna opened the fridge, and oh, she could marry Robert for his family alone. Between Cassana’s excellent cooking and Steffon’s newfound hobby of homebrewing craft beer, this was a family Lya wanted to be a part of.

“Lyanna?”

Lyanna startled at the sound of her name and whipped around, face to face with the last person she expected. “—Rhaegar?”

“I was hoping to see you again, but of all the places to run into each other, I’d never have guessed—”

“What in the seven hells are you doing here!” she sputtered, too surprised to be polite.

“This is my family. What about you?”

“—You don’t look like a Baratheon.” Lyanna considered herself intimately familiar with the Baratheons, and Rhaegar certainly lacked the defining characteristics, the pitch black hair and bright blue eyes. And even though he was tall, he was nothing compared to Robert, Stannis, and Steffon. Even Renly at ten was already up to his shoulders, bound to be at least as tall as his brothers.

“The Baratheons are cousins of mine,” Rhaegar explained. “But really, Lyanna, whatever it was that brought us together again, I’m glad for it. We made a real connection that night in the bar, and I’m afraid I cocked it up.”

“That’s a good yeah to put it, yeah,” Lyanna can’t help but laugh derisively. “But, listen. There’s not—”

“Please, Lyanna.” Rhaegar reached for her hand. “I know you and I could be something special together. Don’t you feel that? Oh, sweet Lya, all I ask is for a chance. Let me take you out.”

Somewhere between the unwanted physical contact and the nickname that was strictly for family use only, Lyanna snapped. She twisted her hand out of his grip, sure to jam his thumb as she did so. “ _No,_ ” she said clearly, with emphasis. “I don’t want to go out with you.”

Rhaegar’s eyes widen in surprise, like his small mind can’t process rejection. He was about to reach for her again, say something, but the sound of the back door sliding open interrupted.

“Hey, Lyanna, Mom said if there’s no beer in the fridge, check the cooler in the garage. –Oh, hey Rhaegar.”

“Robert.”

“Babe, guess what?” Lyanna said as she wrapped her arms possessively around Robert’s waist, making it clear to Rhaegar the nature of their relationship. “Remember a few weeks ago, I told you about that guy at that bar? Well, small world, turns out it was Rhaegar!”

“Are you serious?” Robert asked. When Lyanna nods, he loosens her hold on him so that he can slam Rhaegar against the wall. “What the fuck is wrong with you!”

“Robert, what are you doing!” Lya wanted Rhaegar to stop putting the moves on her, and yeah, she liked when her big boyfriend got a little possessive, but she had to draw the line at actual violence.

“Does your _wife_ know you’re trolling bars for college girls?”

“Wait, what the fuck? You’re married?” Lyanna turned on him. “You’re hitting on me, and you’re married?”

“Hot wife and two little kids. They’re right outside. What do you say, Rhae? Think I should have a chat with Elia?”

“Robert, don’t,” Rhaegar sputtered. “I didn’t mean— nothing happened.”

“So you didn’t try to kiss my girl?”

“And he just asked me out, literally two minutes ago,” Lya added helpfully.

“Your wife is right out-fucking-side, dude. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“It was all a misunderstanding!” Rhaegar deflected. “When I saw Lya that night, I—”

“It’s _Lyanna_. Not Lya _,_ not to you,” she corrected.

Rhaegar’s eyes darted briefly to hers and he nodded. “Lyanna. I’m sorry. It’s only… I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Try,” Robert growled.

“When I saw Lya –Lyanna at the bar that night, I was overcome. I had this feeling… Lyanna, I believe, was my wife in a past life.”

What happened next occurred so quickly, Lyanna’s eyes could barely track the movements. Robert let go of Rhaegar for only a second, just long enough for him to pull back and throw a punch. Rhaegar immediately dropped to the ground, clutching his bloodied nose and moaning. “If you’re having some kind of midlife crisis, I suggest buying a sports car,” Robert said to Rhaegar’s crumpled form before taking Lya’s hand and leading her back outside.

“I’m sorry about him. I always knew the Targaryen side of the family was a bit weird, but I didn’t know that Rhaegar was that much of a creep.”

“It’s really not that big a deal,” Lyanna shrugged. “Not for me, anyway. Is his wife really here?”

“Yeah, over there.” Robert pointed to a woman sitting at the picnic table in the shade. Damn, Robert was right, she is hot. Not that Rhaegar’s wandering eye would be more excusable if she weren’t attractive, but, really, Lya couldn’t understand why a man would look twice at her when he was going home to _that_ every night.

“What’s her name again?”

“Elia.”

“…I’m going to go talk to her.”

“Is that a good idea, Lyanna?”

“Yeah. Don’t you think she ought to know what her husband’s been up to?”

“I do, but, I can tell her.”

“No, it should be me. I’m the one he was trying to come on to, after all. I’m the best witness.” Lyanna pressed a quick kiss on Robert and crossed the yard to Elia. As she approached, some part of her felt guilty. She didn’t want to break up a marriage. She saw the way Elia smiled at a little blond-haired boy, her son, if she had to guess, considering how much he looked like Rhaegar. If she kept her mouth shut, then perhaps Elia would never find out, Rhaegar might straighten out, they could keep on being happy. But, the realist in her didn’t believe that. If Rhaegar was so bold to ask her out while his wife was just outside… Lyanna didn’t even pretend to think that she was special to him, past wife or not. And if she could help another woman, spare her some hurt and humiliation before something worse happened, Lyanna could do that.

“Excuse me? Are you Elia?”

The woman looked up at her, and, wow, she’s even more beautiful up close. Honestly, what is Rhaegar thinking, cheating on this actual goddess? “Yes, I am. And you are-?”

“Lyanna Stark. I’m Robert’s girlfriend,” she gestured over her shoulder to where he was standing a few feet away. “But, I, uh, I actually know your husband? Or, we’ve met, I’ve met your husband. Rhaegar.”

“Oh, really? He hasn’t mentioned you,” Elia said, not to be rude, simply stating a fact.

“No, I don’t think he would. You see, we met at a bar a few weeks ago. We talked for a bit, but when I was about to leave, he made a pass at me. He tried to kiss me.”

“I see…”

Lyanna hated that anguished look on her face, hated that she was the one to cause it. _No, this is Rhaegar’s doing._ “I rejected him, and I swear, I didn’t know he was married. I was so surprised to see him here. I didn’t know that he and Robert were cousins, that is so weird. And beside the point. Anyway, I just- I wanted to let you know. I didn’t mean to spoil your afternoon…”

“Lyanna!” Suddenly, they weren’t alone anymore, Rhaegar had come up behind them, ice pack held over one quickly blackening eye. “Elia, my love, what— what are you two talking about?” He failed to keep the anxious edge out of his voice.

“Lyanna here was just introducing herself. Rhaegar, dear, why didn’t you tell me you two had met before?” Elia said with a cool elegance, but sharp enough that Rhaegar knew that he’d been outed.

“El, let me explain.”

“Not here,” she cut him off. “You can explain at home.” She looked like a queen as she strode away from him, leaving Rhaegar in the dust, able to do nothing but watch as she collected their children and ushered them into a dark minivan before driving away.

Rhaegar turned on her, his violet eyes looking dark against the rising bruise. “What have you done!” He hissed at her. He looked ugly and angry, but she wasn’t afraid of him, especially not when he cowed before Robert as he approached. “You’ve made a mistake, Lyanna.”

“No, Rhaegar, that’s you.”

“You will regret this—”

“Hey, maybe you should get the hell out of here, buddy,” Robert said, stepping in between Rhaegar and Lyanna. “Bet you want to go home and talk to your wife before she calls that brother of hers. Isn’t he an assassin or something?”

Rhaegar denied that, but by the way his face paled, it seemed like he wasn’t entirely convinced otherwise. And as intimidated as he was by Robert’s muscles, it was nothing to what he was imagining his brother-in-law doing to him. He left them then to make hasty goodbyes to the host and hostess before leaving the premises to chase down his wife.

“…Is her brother really an assassin?” Lya asked, once Rhaegar was safely gone.

“I have no clue. I only ever met him at their wedding, but there are a lot of rumors about him. He’s either an assassin or a mob kingpin or possibly a porn star. Maybe all three, who knows.”

“Stop lying.”

“I swear, I’m not.”

Somehow that comes across completely honest, how he does that, she doesn’t know, but it always makes her laugh. “I don’t want to think about Rhaegar anymore.” Lya hooked her arms around his waist and tugged him toward the house. “Why don’t we go up to your room and you can help me forget about him?”

She didn’t have to ask him twice. He got that heated look in his eye and she squealed when he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, carrying her into the house like a caveman. She ought to be a little bit embarrassed, or at least, try to be a little less obvious about what they were going to do, but what can she say? _Any excuse to get him under me._

**Author's Note:**

> follow my lyabert blog on [tumblr](https://allthewolveshaveantlers.tumblr.com)


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